About Heather Whitney

Dr. Whitney does research in the area of medical physics, specifically in how the principles of physics can be used to improve the measurements made by the different medical physics imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound. She is also interested in physics education research, as well as the mathematics of music theory and the physics of musical instruments, particularly the piano.

She and her husband are local food enthusiasts and enjoy supporting farmers markets and locally-owned restaurants, as well as cooking at home. Somewhat relatedly, they also enjoy running and lifting weights.

Courses Taught

General Physics I

General Physics II

Analytical Mechanics

Physics of Music

Modern Science Skills Laboratory

Computer Modeling

Introduction to Medical Physics

Membership in Professional Societies

Advanced Laboratory Physics Association (ALPhA)

American Physical Society

American Association of Physics Teachers

American Association of Physicists in Medicine

American Scientific Affiliation

International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine

Sigma Pi Sigma

Research

Dr. Whitney is interested in the basic physics research that goes into developing tools and techniques for medical physics. Her dissertation connected the radiation therapy and diagnostic imaging branches of medical physics in its focus of characterizing and better understanding three-dimensional dosimeters, made of gelatin and polymers, which can be analyzed using magnetic resonance imaging. These dosimeters can be used to measure the complex radiation therapy fields produced by modern treatment planning systems, but there is much work to be done in better understanding the dose response of the dosimeters. She is currently focusing her efforts on nuclear magnetic resonance measurements of the relaxation of water protons in the presence of macromolecules, a key area of investigation needed to better understand the workings of the polymer gel dosimeters.

Additionally, Dr. Whitney is doing research with Dr. Brian Hunt of the Wheaton College Applied Health Science department. Together, they are formulating methods for automatic measurement of the lumen diameter of the carotid artery as detected by ultrasound.

Dr. Whitney is also interested in physics education research for the improvement of the teaching of physics, and the incorporation of new and emerging technologies to enhance the classroom experience.

Conference Posters

Kwong, Zachary S.* and Whitney H M. (2012) Development and characterization of NMR measurements for polymer gel dosimetry. In Bulletin of the American Physical Society. (April Meeting of the American Physical Society.) *Student researcher, received an award for "An Outstanding Presentation of Undergraduate Research" from the Society of Physics Students.